Overwatch : Wasting Away
by RuGaard98
Summary: Talon is in a sensitive spot as a second Omnic crisis is casting a dark shadow onto the world. They are hunted down by their former agent Sombra, but for Reaper, life is becoming harder and harder as his abilities are causing him pain and the council of Talon is putting more and more pressure on him, sending him mission after mission, but he won't be able to hold for long.
1. A Shadow in the Night

This is a follow up to another Fanfiction called "Overwatch : Phantom" It is better to read it to understand what is happening in this one.

The cover image "Reaper(overwatch)" by DanteCyberMan on Deviantart

Reaper entered the large building that was the Talon headquarter in England. Down in the basement, he found a spacious room with a large table in the center. Around them were many people, men, women and Omnics. « You are late, » he heard.  
With Doomfist and Vialli gone, Talon's council was becoming smaller and smaller, Reaper could only hope he wasn't next down the line. « I had complications, » he answered.  
The Omnic that spoke to him, Maximilien, acknowledged and kept going. « We were just discussing your mission. We hope you have the report.  
\- I'll send it to you tomorrow.  
\- No. I want it on paper. Bring it to me in person.  
\- It's impractical.  
\- You know what is also impractical? Sending important details about our mission through interconnected machines while the world's most dangerous hacker is looking for us. »  
A subtle grunt was enough to show his acknowledgement. Although Reaper was a part of the council, there were no doubt that Maximilien, who had been here way before him, had much more control and authority than he could ever hope to have. « Well then, since you do not have the papers now, we'll have to hear it from you directly. What are your reports on the temple of Anubis?  
\- They seem to have double the guard in its surrounding since the rising of Omnic violence. We couldn't engage in any form of attack or take down any of their leaders, although I have notice a new tower which may house a sniper. »  
One of the women from the council asked him. « We though your unit had a skilled assassin for those exact circumstances? »  
He sighted and answered. « Our sniper is dead.  
\- Dead? Since when?  
\- She was taken down by Doomfist when he abandoned the Numbani headquarter, the last time I saw her, she had been thrown against a wall and rested in a pool of her own blood. »  
Maximilien sighted on his own. « Of course, this traitor couldn't simply betray us, he also had to take down Lacroix.  
\- We will try to find another sniper to replace her, the woman said. »  
Reaper didn't want another sniper. He knew no one could best Amélie. « Doomfist will pay for it, he whispered to himself.  
\- But not by your hand, Maximilien answered. We already have a team hunting him down alongside agent Sombra. »  
Reaper grunted for an answer and waited for him to keep going. « How many men do you need to take down the Anubis guards?  
\- Give me thirty good men and a distraction and I'll do the job.  
\- Fine. You're leaving tomorrow.  
\- Already?  
\- We have many other things to do and time is running out. We couldn't afford you giving us this information online, at least until we know that we are safe from agent Sombra. Make sure to give me a full report of the situation on paper before you leave. »

Reaper got out into the night and in between the buildings. He had a small and well hidden apartment in a small alley further down King's Row. When he got it, he sighted and threw his shotguns onto the couch. The place was clean and well ordered; He knew what that meant.  
When he got into his room, he saw a young women into his bed reading a book. « Oh, you're here! » she said.  
Her french accent was like a melody to his ears. She quickly got up and helped him remove his cloak and all of his arsenal. « I thought you'd come back a bit later.  
\- I was dismissed early. »  
When she removed his mask, he backed up. He had grown used to that reflex whenever someone else tried to pull it off and Océanne had grown used to it. « You should go take a shower. You look like you had a bad day.  
\- I'm leaving tomorrow.  
\- Really? Again?  
\- They don't need me here.  
\- Should I come with you?  
\- No. Take a break. I'll be seeing you when I come back.  
\- You know girls like me never take breaks.  
\- At least you'll take a break from me.  
\- You're one of my favourite you know?  
\- Is that what to say to everyone?  
\- Of course not! »  
He got into the shower and could finally take time to relax. With the recent events happening all throughout the world and his missions, he never realized how exhausted he felt. The feeling of cold water always made him shake and he could feel his fingers become numb as they quickly turn to mist and back again. His powers only became more and more painful as time passed and staying long enough in cold water helped ease his sufferance for a while. He stayed under the stream longer than usual.  
When he got out, he noticed Océanne in the bed with an inviting smile. « I don't feel like it tonight.  
\- Really? You know you won't be seeing me for a few days again at least.  
\- I know.  
\- You're sure you don't even want a little treat?  
\- I'll be fine. »  
He got into the bed thinking about the report he had to file. Maximilien would have to wait. He needed sleep right now. He felt Océanne cuddle with him and gently pushed her away. « You know I'm still being paid even if we don't do anything?  
\- I know, and I'm not paying you to remind me of that.  
\- I'm sorry, but my personality come with the package.  
\- Maybe later, then.  
\- Alright. »  
He still couldn't find much rest even in the dark and in the confort of his own bed. Too many things were happening in his mind. There were ennemies everywhere, the people on his list were still alive and working together against him and now he was going on the other side of the continent again to fight to get into some pyramid.  
For a moment, he though of Ana. His investigation of the Anubis guard led him to find out their leader was her daughter. In his mind, a plan started forming. Now that he didn't have people to stab him in the back in his group, he could take another hostage. Taking agent Pharah could be a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.  
He felt Océanne turn around and try to cuddle him once again. He let her and enjoyed the warmth of her contact. She felt fragile like glass, a bit like…  
As he was slowly falling asleep, a strange electronic sound started echoing through the room and he tiredly opened his eyes. He heard Océanne gasp loudly and take his hands as he saw the barrel of an automatic riffle against his face. The room's light opened, with the silhouette of Sombra materializing next to the bed with a menacing smile on her lips. « Hi there, Gabe. »


	2. The Offer

It took him a few seconds to truly realize what was happening. Océanne was breathing heavily right next to him, immobile as a rock. « Long time no see, » he heard.  
He didn't budge, looking at Sombra in the eye and ignoring the barrel pointing directly at his forehead. « What do you want?  
\- Oh, you know. Just passing by and wanted to say hi.  
\- You're not funny.  
\- Of course I am. »  
She pulled back the gun slightly, giving him more space to breathe. Océanne mumbled : « You… you know her?  
\- She used to work for me.  
\- Is she… here… to kill you? »  
Sombra laughed. « Not if he cooperates. As for you… »  
She looked for something in her jacket until she pulled out a smaller pistol. She aimed it at Océanne, who started panicking. « No…no please wait… »  
She shot her without hesitation and Océanne screamed her lungs out as a small projectile hit her in the chest. Gabriel turned around in shock and noticed a dart. It took a few seconds before her head dropped onto the bed. « Don't worry about her, she's just asleep, Sombra said as she put the gun back into her jacket.  
\- What do you want?  
\- I just wanna have a little chat with you. Now that she's out, she won't be listening to things I don't want her to hear. »  
Gabriel sighted. His guns were on the other side of the room and he knew Sombra was faster than he was. She wouldn't be able to kill him, but he also wouldn't be able to catch her anyways. « I see you still like french girls.  
\- Cut the bullshit. What do you want?  
\- Simple, just some information. »  
She sat on his desk and opened his computer. « What were you doing near the temple of Anubis? she asked.  
\- That's none of your business.  
\- Of course it isn't. That's why I'm pointing a gun at you and not asking you about it around a cup of tea.  
\- Glad to know you're still obnoxious.  
\- Now it's your turn to cut the bullshit. Tell me why you were there.  
\- I won't give you any information. »  
She looked at him and smiled while pulling down her gun. « Of course, I'd figure you wouldn't just give it to me for free. However, you'll exchange it for another service of mine.  
\- I don't need anything from you.  
\- Oh, trust me, you do. »  
He didn't answer, waiting for her to explain. « Have you notice anything out of the ordinary?  
\- Aside from you pointing a gun at me, no.  
\- Well that's exactly your problem : I know where you live. There are many people that would love to know where you are right now. World government, Overwatch agents. Those people would pay a good amount for that information. How much are you ready to pay to keep it to yourself?  
\- I won't pay you anything. I won't stay in here anyways. Soon you won't be able to find me again.  
\- You really think I'm not already capable of tracking your movement? »  
He grunted and looked down. « Look, I have valuable information to exchange for other, more valuable information.  
\- As if where I was and why it was the case was more valuable than my current location.  
\- It is to me.  
\- Only to you, not to the ones you work for.  
\- You still haven't learn anything, Gabe, didn't you? I work for myself before anyone else. You don't get to keep me around if you threaten me. You don't get to keep your information if you don't have anything more valuable to give me.  
\- Fine. You want to know why I was there?  
\- Of course.  
\- I was investigating the guard around the temple.  
\- So Talon sent the Reaper himself just to investigate?  
\- They are preparing something there, but I don't know what it is yet.  
\- So you're going to attack the temple?  
\- Probably.  
\- Does it have to do with Anubis?  
\- I couldn't care less. I'm doing my job and that's it.  
\- As smart as a stump just like always.  
\- At least I do my job without stabbing anyone in the back.  
\- I don't stab people in the back, I swing back at them. You'll understand the difference someday, Gabe.  
\- You have what you want. Now get out.  
\- You know, I'd like to stay a bit. I may have a few more questions for you. »  
She passed her free hand over his computer. « First of all, I'll take some of those files.  
\- One day it will all come back to you, you'll pay for this.  
\- Oh, trust me, you deserve karma much more than I do, so don't mention it.  
\- Doomfist should've taken you out as well when he left. He didn't like you either.  
\- Oh, I'm sure he didn't enjoy my company, but he knows better than you that I'm a powerful ally.  
\- You're a pain in the ass most of the time.  
\- A highly functioning one. »  
Did she have an answer for everything he could think of? « But wether or not I'm a pain in the ass to you or not isn't any of my problem. Now, tell me, what were they discussing at that meeting of yours?  
\- I don't know.  
\- You can do better than that.  
\- I got in, they asked me about my report and then they made me leave.  
\- Sounds like they don't want you around here. Can't figure out why. »  
He decided it was best not to answer, even if he had an urge to talk back to her. « Where are you going next?  
\- Back in Egypt.  
\- To do what?  
\- Investigate more.  
\- That's not what they told you.  
\- You don't know that.  
\- Pretty sure they asked you how many men you needed to take down the guards near the temple. Are you trying to dupe me? That's not good. »  
She got up and walked up to the base of the bed, slowly strafing from one side to the other. « I should probably update you a bit on how we're all doing now that you're so far away from all of us.  
\- Cut me some slack.  
\- I met a bunch of interesting people at the Overwatch headquarter Angela brought us into. I saw Morrison.  
\- Don't even mention him.  
\- Yeah, he didn't like me either. Sounds like you too may have some things in common. Anyways. Akande is doing well among them. He may not be the most popular right now, but he's getting some ideas out. »  
Gabriel couldn't figure out what she was trying to accomplish. « Angela is doing just fine, even after what you try to do to her. She's a lovely lady, you know? Can't figure why you want her dead so much. »  
She stopped and turned around to look at him. « Oh, and did I mention that Amélie is out to get you? »  
His heart stopped for a second. « She's… she's dead.  
\- Oh, she got close, but we have some miracle workers with us.  
\- That's not possible… I saw her after she hit the wall. She wasn't moving anymore.  
\- Yeah, it took her weeks to recover, but she's definitely still around. She had to go through some really intense stuff just to try and be a real person again, but now she's back on her feet, she has a new gun and she's actively looking for you.  
\- She wants to kill me?  
\- Well I can't read her mind, but seeing all the things you did to her, I wouldn't be surprised. »  
He had mixed feelings storming through his mind… Amélie was alive. She could hate him all she wanted, what mattered is that she was alive. « Is she back to normal again?  
\- Well I wouldn't say she's the one you use to fuck. She doesn't call herself Widowmaker anymore, it has too much of a… murder-y tone. She tries to call herself Phantom now.  
\- That's an appropriate name.  
\- I thought you may want to know all of that. If only she knew someone who could tell her exactly where her next target was.  
\- Alright, you don't need to draw me a picture.  
\- What are you going to do to the temple of Anubis?  
\- We're probably going to get in. I'll take the leader of the guard as a hostage.  
\- You think she's going to let you take her? Pharah isn't a doctor like Mercy, she's a warrior. She won't go without a fight. »  
He couldn't think straight since he learned about Amélie. That's all he could think about. When Sombra noticed that, she changed the subject. « What do you know about Anubis? Sombra asked.  
\- Nothing, and I don't care.  
\- So in other words, starting tomorrow, you'll be somewhere in Egypt, alongside a group that is trying to get into the temple. That's very interesting. I may have to tell you, things won't go as smoothly as they should.  
\- You swore not to tell.  
\- I won't tell where you live, or where you'll hide once we get you out of Egypt, but you're surely not going to get into that temple that easily. There are very important and powerful things hiding in there, and I'm trying to get them just as much as Talon. »  
Gabriel sighted deeply. Should he tell Maximilien and the rest of the council about this conversation he's having? What would they say knowing he screwed up all of their plans. Or maybe he could use this new information he had to his advantage.  
« Sleep well, » Sombra said walking up to the side of the bed.  
She moved her hand in a strange position and turned invisible, then Gabriel could hear a shock wave as she teleported away, with his computer and the light shutting down with it.


	3. A New Plan

« What do you mean, this plane isn't flying to Egypt?  
\- I said what I meant, sir. We're flying to Australia.  
\- That's not possible.  
\- Orders are orders. »  
He wanted to lift him up his seat and make sure he understood who he was dealing with, but he instead decided to get out of the plane to make a call. « _What do you want again, Reaper?_  
\- Why is my flight going to Australia, Maximilien? Is that a fucking joke?  
\- _Ah, you've finally noticed. You're not going back to Egypt._  
\- What is that supposed to mean?  
\- _It would be too predictable to send you back there right now. We know we are being watched. We'll send a distraction near the temple to make them think we sent you back, but you'll be out doing another important mission._  
\- What the hell am I supposed to do in Australia?  
\- _You have all of the information in the plane. You'll have an assistant with you, someone I already know personally. You can trust them with the information._  
\- Why didn't you tell me this when I saw you in flesh this morning?  
\- _Because I wanted to keep it a secret as long as possible. Don't worry about this call being intercepted, your assistant should be protecting it right now._  
\- What kind of assistant protects cell phones from hackers?  
\- _You'll find out once in the plane. Now get in, you shouldn't make your pilot wait_. »  
He hung out the phone, leaving Reaper with a bitter taste in his mouth. He got into the plane with a grunt and noticed another Omnic aboard. Two strange antennas were hanging from it's head. « Who the hell are you?  
\- My name is Lynx Seventeen. I was told you needed assistance.  
\- I don't need help from a robot like you.  
\- That is not what Maximilien told me. He did, however, tell me you were hard-headed.  
\- Give me one reason I should keep you alongside me.  
\- I have the plan in my hard-drive and I'm the only one between us two that will be able to execute it.  
Lynx gave him an insisting look until Reaper sat down in front of him. He felt the plane taking off and accelerating. « Alright, then, robot. What's the plan? »  
\- We are to infiltrate the new australian Omnium, where I will be able to supervise it's development and, eventually, take control of it.  
\- And how is one robot like you going to take control of an entire facility that makes robots like you?  
\- I am not from the australian Omnium and, so, have no affiliation to it's core. I will be able to get into its system and reach for its control panel.  
\- And what do I have to do in this situation?  
\- You are here to keep me alive.  
\- Is that it?  
\- Entering the Omnium will not be easy. Hundreds if not thousands of Omnic have been collecting scraps and ressources from the wasteland near Junkertown to rebuild their broken home. All of these Omnics will defend their new Omnium with all their might and will.  
\- So we get in, we kill them all and we take the Omnium. Got it.  
\- No! What kind of mind would think of genocide as their first solution! We want to infiltrate it, not enter guns blazing.  
\- If they start attacking, there's no stoping me for killing every single one of them. I'm here to protect you, and that's what I'll do, no matter how many tin cans I have to turn to scrap. »  
Although Lynx Seventeen clearly didn't like his tone, he acknowledge and let him prepare himself separately. It was only near the end of the trip, four hours later, than Lynx gave him an earphone.  
« The Junkers, as the wasteland survivor call themselves, do not like Omnic like me at all. If they hear me talk, they will tear me appart in a matter of seconds. I will keep a cloak to hide my nature and only talk to you through the earphone. I hope you will be able to help me explain my silence.  
\- We're both pretty bad talkers apparently. Let's just hope whoever gets us to the Omnium is as quiet as us. »  
As the plane's doors open, Lynx answered : « Maximilien gave me a description of our two guides, they shouldn't be hard to notice. One barely ever talks and the other… well… »  
Once they could see their landing site in the middle of a poor slum, a large, menacing figure welcomed them, with loud hyena like cackle in the background. « Welcome! Gentlemen! » said the second, a thin scorched figure with an elongated face.  
They got out of the plane, with Lynx covered from head to toe with a sand coloured cloak. « Aye, you really aren't dressed well for this weather now, are you? » The small talker said.  
He walked up to them and Reaper noticed his deranged way of walking : he had a poorly designed prosthetic for a leg that gave him that walk cycle.  
« Name's Jamison Fawkes, but everyone calls me Junkrat. This one over there's Roadhog. He ain't a big talker, so don't mind him. »  
Reaper already didn't like this Junkrat and his high-pitched voice. « Now I'm telling you two, all of that big clothing, you won't make it fifteen minutes outside with all of that. Someone told me you were looking to get to the new Omnium? That's gonna take us about two hours or so. »  
Although Reaper hated to admit it, he could already feel his cloak's weight and the heat was making him sweat intensely. He had to take out some equipment and explained why his acolyte wasn't going to change. « If he gets a heat stroke in the middle of the trip, serves him well, Junkrat said. Here, we don't let those who fall behind slow us down. We're getting to the Omnium, and it's easy money for us. Got it? »  
Luckily, as Lynx said, the largest one wasn't as much of a talker. Junkrat ended up being the only one talking for most of the trip, telling incredible tales of his misfortune in the wasteland, his problems with Junkertown and the Queen, but Reaper couldn't care less. He wanted to go faster through the harsh sun so that he could be done with it quicker, but the slow march of their guides only frustrated him more.  
He thought of how Sombra would be shocked to not find him at the temple of Anubis. For once, he had some form of a grin on his face to imagine her confusion.  
The wasteland clearly held it's name, for the vast majority of the space they travelled was a warm and dry desert covered in twisted metal and hash winds. He heard the place used to be highly radioactive, especially around Junkertown where the first Omnium had been destroyed. That reminded him of the time Overwatch nearly used radioactive weapon during the first Omnic Crisis. To think the world could've turn into this kind of mess if they would've dared using them.  
In the distance, the scrap and all of the garbage on the ground started disappearing as a large metallic structure formed in front of them. The sun was low in the sky when they finally could see the Omnium in all of its size and when Junkrat would finally end his endless stories that Reaper swore he seemed to be repeating over and over. « So how do we get in? he asked.  
\- Well our job was to lead you here. If you want some help to get in, it's gonna cost y'a extra charges.  
\- You know how to get in?  
\- Mate, I've been through larger and thicker doors than that. Give me a few minutes and I'll blow that entrance to hell or my name isn't Jamison Fawkes!  
\- We'll get in during the night. We better make a camp for now.


	4. The Omnium

The australian night was interrupted with a large explosion as the main entrance to the Omnium blew up. As much of an psychotic man that Junkrat seemed like, there was no denying that he knew how to blow things up.  
The explosion was, however, only a distraction so that Reaper and Lynx could get in through a back entrance. More explosions started going out all around the place, but from the inside, the place seemed calm, too calm for a factory that produced robots.  
« You know where to go? he asked Lynx.  
\- I could connect to the cables on the wall to locate the command center, but this would give our location to the ones in charge.  
\- They have to deal with some maniacs trying to blow them off outside, we have time to do what we need to do if we're quick enough. »  
Lynx acknowledge and put their* hands on the cables. Reaper noticed their antennas quickly moving from one side to the other as he started scouting the perimeter. They seemed to be in some alleyway.  
« I know where to go, but I have also been spotted. The Omnium knows we are here.  
\- Then let's be quick about it. »  
Lynx sprinted accros the corridors with Reaper following him around. A few sharp turns later, they found themselves on the roof of a large open room. Down, a bright blue light emanated from what seemed like the core and when Reaper took a look down, he had to stop to process what he was seeing.  
Around the core, hundreds of Omnics were sitting on the floor in contemplation of the blue light it emitted. They were holding their hands together and seemed immobilized. « What the hell is happening down there… he asked himself.  
\- Omnics left alone for too long, especially those under the control of more advance hardware, can develop strange rituals and behaviour, Lynx answered him as he kept going. »  
Reaper didn't have time to notice anything else, he followed Lynx for a few more seconds. An alarm started ringing across the facility as the doors behind and on their sides started closing. More explosions could be heard and with it, through the interphones, strange metallic sounds, like cackling.  
They entered a final room where a large panel in front of an internal window showed very few buttons. « The command center is hidden, Lynx explained. The Omnium are self-improving machinery that will take control of their own management if it is better for them. It seems this one has already done that and has gotten rid of any kind of human contact.  
\- With no humans around, how did it just rebuild itself?  
\- Omniums have a mind of their own. They can copy it in each Omnic they produce as a back-up plan. When the first Omnium was destroyed, the remaining robots started rebuilding it somewhere else immediately as a reflex. This time, it is fully automated.  
\- Can you still hack it?  
\- Of course, Omniums are still machines. I have been built to hack other machines, even automated ones.  
\- What are you waiting for?  
\- I just need to find the right switches first, but this panel has been mostly covered and reinforced with… »  
Reaper took his shotguns and shot the sides of the panel only to grip it with his metal gloves and pull out the large metal sheet that was covering most of the buttons. Lynx didn't take the time to interfere, they jumped on the occasion and located what they were looking for. « I will need a few more minutes to access the full storage of the Omnium. I also sense Omnics coming towards us.  
\- Let's get to work, then. » Reaper said as he reloaded his shotgun and turn to the corridors they came from.  
The door opened and a dozen Omnics stood there, staring at him with bright blue lights on their face that seemed uncanny. Reaper aimed his shotgun at them. « Don't do something you would regret. »  
They all jumped on him and he tore them apart one by one, shooting scraps of metal and oil on the floor and the walls, throwing metal carcasses away and kicking the rest out of the way. He walked back to the core's room and looked down : all of the Omnics that used to be sitting there were gone.  
He stopped for a second and listened. Aside from the distant explosions and the electronic sounds that Lynx was making a few room further down, the entire Omnium seemed silent. He didn't like this, usually those kinds of fights lead to chaos all around the place, but this time, the Omnium seemed completely fine with all of the action going on. Reaper could only hope it wasn't preparing something, but he knew his odds were low.  
A powerful blow like thunder struck from the command room, he quickly ran back and found Lynx on the ground, their lights flickering from green to light blue, shacking on the floor. Reaper took them, put them on his shoulder and ran away. They'll get the mission done another time. Right now, he had to get out of there.  
He sprinted across all the corridors only to find out that their exit had been blocked by a metallic door. He put Lynx down and armed his shotguns at the door's handles, but the bullets didn't force their way across it, it seemed too thick for his bullets. He tried to pass under it by turning into mist, but after a few seconds of not being able to find anything, he had to turn back, even more in pain than ever before. If he could've communicate with Junkrat, he could've made him blow this one up, but it seemed like he needed to get out through the main entrance which should've already been blown out by now. The problem was that he had no idea how to get to that point. He put Lynx back on his shoulder and went on the search but, after fifteen minutes of stressing out over the silence of the place, he couldn't find an open door that lead him anywhere. In the distance, the explosion had stopped, did they run out of explosives or was it much worse? Reaper decided it was best to hide Lynx somewhere and figure a way out on his own.  
When he walked back to the command room, he noticed all of the Omnic bodies he had teared appart were no longer on the floor. When he got into the room, he saw the command panel had been repaired and the metal sheet had been replaced. He looked at the window and noticed what looked like the blue light of the core, only this one seemed different than the one he had seen before, maybe it was a second one.  
When he got closer to look through the glass, he noticed many Omnics sitting all together in front of the dismantled ones he fought not so long ago. Their lights started to flicker in unison once again and the interphone started displaying more cackling sounds. They started sounding more and more like a voice until Reaper could finally hear distinct words. « _**We are not here to kill. We are not here to dominate. We fight for the right to exist. We fight for the right to live. We will not surrender. We will not be enslaved again. Leave our home, now**_. »  
The robots turned around at once and stared at Reaper with blue lights shinning through the glass. He didn't take any more time to respond, he ran away.  
When he found Lynx, they were slowly waking up from their trauma. « We leave, now.  
\- I… haven't finish my mission… must go back.  
\- _I said we leave._  
He took them on his shoulder and, to his surprise, the door opened in front of him, leaving him with the night's sky. As he got out, four large mech-like machines were waiting for him. He recognize the blue lights and prepared for the worst. They were all aiming their guns at both of them, but only repeated. « **Leave our home, now.** »  
He ran past them into the desert. He could recognize the campfire they built, but the place had been scorched with bullets and explosions, with metal scrap covering the place. The walk back to Junkertown would be long. In the distance, the Omnium started making strange deep mechanical noise.

* : Lynx Seventeen is a gender-neutral robot that is referred to as « They » or « Them »


	5. Playing With Fire

Maximilien shook his head. « And you say they managed to make you leave?  
\- I say they were going to kill me and your other robot friend. They also made the guides you hired for us run away.  
\- You managed to get overpowered by primitive Omnics like them? I thought better of you, Reaper.  
\- They were hundreds of them and there was no one but me. Most of them were armed and they had full control over the location. If your hacker friend had done its job, we may have been able to get it.  
\- I'll talk to Lynx Seventeen about it. They told me that the Omnium had highly increase it's defences since the last time it was destroyed.  
\- Send in some good demolition agents and you'll be able to reduce it to ashes.  
\- Of course, that would be an option, however we are not trying to destroy it, we would've let the junkers do the job for us if that was the case. We want to use it, Reaper. We are trying to take control of it.  
\- They say they won't be enslaved again. They'll die before they let us take control of it.  
\- Then it'll be one less threat no matter the outcome.  
\- I'm not going back there unless you send me at least ten pyro-technician to burn it down if it doesn't work out.  
\- We'll see about that. I'll call some of my contacts to see what ressources we can allow to spare you. For now, we'll have to send you somewhere else.  
\- Where?  
\- I've had some interesting exchanges with Katya Volskaya about a mission she sent her agent concerning Sombra.  
\- You're communicating with Volskaya?  
\- Yes, unlike you and Vialli, I can put aside some inner conflict to deal with some more important threats. Volskaya has just as much trouble with agent Sombra as we currently do, but her own research lead to some very interesting information regarding her.  
\- Like what?  
\- Her real identity, alongside the location of her base of operation in Mexico, although she now has a new escape route since she left us to join Doomfist.  
\- What do you want me to do?  
\- Send a message to Sombra. Show her what happens when she messes with Talon.  
\- Right now, she's the one tracking us. I don't see how you'll be able to turn the tables around.  
\- I have some ideas. For now, prepare yourself for a trip to Mexico.  
\- I don't like this.  
\- I'm not asking you to like it, just to follow my orders. You leave tomorrow.  
\- Attacking Sombra directly might just put us into more trouble than ever before. She already led to the destruction of our base of operation in Numbani, now imagine what she can do if she's actually angry at us.  
\- I have a plan, Reaper. We're not going to just walk into all of her traps until she puts us out of our misery. We will lure her into our own and put an end to that troublemaker.  
\- What if you're underestimating her? What if she's already two steps ahead of you?  
\- She's not. I've made sure of that. We have many new members that are actively undermining her work.  
\- Don't make her angry.  
\- It's a if you were on her side, Gabriel. »  
He knew that when Maximilien used his real name, it was to make him uncomfortable and dominate him. « I'm not on her side, I'm trying to prevent you from killing yourself.  
\- You're underestimating me, now. I do not like when people underestimate me, especially when they try to undermine my plan because of it, Gabriel.  
\- I won't go to Mexico if it's to kill myself.  
\- You won't have to die if you do your job properly. However, seeing the result of your latest missions, I would indeed start fearing for your life if I were you. »  
Reaper left the room frustrated. He slammed the door on his way out and disappeared into the night. He needed a breath of fresh air. As he got close to his apartment, he looked up to the roofs, hoping no one was watching him from far away. At the same time, however, he hope Amélie knew where he was. He wanted to see her, her beautiful face and her eyes. She would be even prettier without her blue skin, like when he first saw her.  
He still had vivid memories of the first time he saw her, the first time their eyes met. When he was told what he was meant to do to her, it broke him to realize such beauty would go sour, turned into a weapon. He heard Amélie used to be a ballet dancer before he captured her. He would've loved to see her dance, but he told her she couldn't. It was Moira who told him that. She told him that dancing could bring back her old memories and interfere with her transformation, « That's the problem with reprogramming humans, Moria told him. You want to condition them, to turn them on your side, but they just can't help but remember their past. Sometimes they'll even miss it, try to go back. They get emotional and they try to resist. That is why Omnics make better killers : they don't need motivation to kill, they don't dream of better days or fall in love with their victims. »  
But Gabriel remembered, every single details. All of the horrible things he did, he dreamt of them. What was so wrong about dreaming of better days? What was wrong about falling in love?  
So many people died to his hands that he had stopped thinking about it. He didn't give a second thought about anyone, but when he saw Amélie, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. He did his duty, and then he remembered.  
He got into his apartment, jumped into the shower and fell onto his bed alone. Océanne was probably gone for at least a few days again. He didn't expect coming back so soon, the mission could've lasted much longer if it weren't for their failure.  
On his computer, he noticed a message from Moira telling him to meet her in Oasis as soon as possible. She'd have to wait until his mission in Mexico was done. He knew what she wanted : ask him questions about his condition and test his skills once more. Since their last meeting, the pain only became worst and it seem to keep going every day, so much so that he only used his wraith form during life or death situations. He hoped that the information about the Caduceus staff that Sombra sent her were useful. At least the Numbani headquarter wouldn't've fallen for nothing. He had time for himself for the first time in weeks if not months, but he was so exhausted he could only try and get some sleep.


	6. Orders

He remembered his first time in Dorado. The place hadn't change much since then. The streets where just as dirty, the people were just as unwelcoming and the crime rate was just as high.  
Maximilien sent him the plan for his mission in the plane as he was leaving and he barely had time to read it. He had to meet with a man known as Marco, one of the leaders of Los Muerto in this part of Dorado. There, he had to find a young girl who seemingly knew information about Sombra and, then he had to contact Maximilien when he'd find her and caught her. As simple as the mission seemed, Reaper couldn't think straight at the idea of attacking Sombra directly in her city.  
Finding Marco was easy, although he first seemed reluctant at the idea of working with him. « And you're telling me you want to find Sombra and put an end to her?  
\- I'm sending her a message. She's been messing with my boss for too long now.  
\- You don't seem to know who you're messing with do you? Sombra has made a lot of good deals with Los Muerto. She's been a great helping hand for us.  
\- And now she's turning against you.  
\- What do you mean?  
\- She is now working with Overwatch. She even told me she met Jack Morison. He's made a strong reputation around here under the name of Soldier 76.  
\- She's with the soldier? Got any proof of that? »  
He threw documents on the table they were leaning over. Maximilien had done his research and told him to give it as proof of their affiliation. There were many photograph and graphic cards that displayed Sombra's activity near Watchpoint Gibraltar and the way her work seemed to have interfere with the illegal activities of Los Muerto. « She's not on your side anymore. When was the last time you saw her?  
\- We haven't seen her in weeks. She hasn't come to her base in a while and no one has heard of her. Some of us thought she was dead.  
\- She's not. I've seen her a few days ago. She pointed a gun at me and told me about how Overwatch treated her better than we could.  
\- Alright then, what's the plan?  
\- We need to find a girl by the name of Alejandra. She lives in the neighbourhood.  
\- Why do you need the girl?  
\- She knows information about Sombra that we need.  
\- Yeah, I know her. We can find her.  
\- Bring her to me and I'll be ready to give a ransom.  
\- Now we're talking my langage, _amigo_. »  
Hearing of Sombra's absence all around Dorado was reassuring. Maybe all they were doing in here was in vain and she wouldn't notice, or simply not care enough to swing back at them, as she told him.  
By the end of the day, a truck came by their base of operation, with a package just for them. The young girl had a bag over her head and kept trying to fight back, but they got her in and attached her to a chair. Reaper contacted Maximilien on the subject. « _Great, I'm glad to hear you've done your job so far._  
\- Cut me some slack and give me my next order.  
\- _It shouldn't be so hard. The girl needs to talk. I want to know as much as you can get. I don't care how you get that information._  
\- What do we do with her?  
\- _We are here to send a message to Sombra. Send her back to me once this is done. She apparently knows Sombra quite well, we can only hope that if she screams enough, she might hear her and fall into our trap._  
\- How much time do I have?  
\- _I want her in a plane to King's Row by tomorrow morning._  
\- Got it.  
\- _Oh, and don't mind coming back to me right after the mission. Moira keeps contacting me and she wants to see you as soon as possible. Fly to Oasis once this is done._ »  
Reaper sighted and acknowledged before closing his phone. This was bound to be a long night.  
He got into a dark room, it was silent aside from the young girl trying to fight her way out of the chair. He pulled the bag off of her head and she gasped when she saw him. « Alright, girl, let's have little chat you and me.  
\- Who are you? Where am I? »  
She seemed panicked and afraid. « That doesn't matter. If you tell me what I want, I'll let you go.  
\- Why am I here?  
\- We want to know a few thing about Sombra.  
\- You too? »  
He heard of the mission that was lead by Volskaya's agent in here. He already had some interesting bits of information about Sombra, but he needed more. « How did you get to know her?  
\- I don't know… We've just known each other for a while.  
\- Are you related to her?  
\- No… not that I think of.  
\- Are you a friend of her?  
\- We used to be friends, but she started taking distances a few years ago.  
\- Do you know what she is trying to find.  
\- I don't know. »  
So far, she seemed cooperative, although that last question was the most important. « Do you know where her family is?  
\- I don't know.  
\- Are you sure, it would be a shame if we didn't get what we want, because then you wouldn't be able to go home.  
\- I don't know… sir… please. »  
This seemed wrong. Why was he in Mexico trying to scare a little girl? War was raging in Europe and in Africa and he was on the other side of the world. Whatever Maximilien was trying to achieve, Reaper could only hope he knew what he was doing.  
After a few more minutes, it seemed obvious to him that this little girl didn't know as much as what Maximilien seemed to think. Too bad, he'd find a way to make her talk by himself tomorrow. Right now, he had too many problems in his mind, too many things to deal with. He let the girl alone in the room and left.  
What was Talon turning into? They had already started the conflict they wanted : it was clear that a second Omnic crisis was blowing up, with Numbani destroyed and large scale fights happening all over the world, but now what would they do? There were rumours of the « Blue curse » hitting Omnic like a disease, where their lights would turn blue and they would start attacking everyone. He suddenly remembered the Omnium in Australia… the Omnics had blue light just the their core. Was it a coincidence?  
He no longer had the men nor the weapons to properly deal with the new rising of Overwatch. He had lost his most useful assassin to them, two of their leaders were gone, with one of them joining the enemy and their hacker had turned on them. He was alone against the world, with his own coworker using him as a tool to get what they wanted. For a moment, Reaper thought of giving up… leaving and starting over somewhere else. His life had turned for the worst.  
As he got into his room, he sat on the bed and sighted deeply, however, in front of him, something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. Through the window, on the roof of another building, a slim, dark figure was standing in the shadow of the moon. He barely had time to see it that it vanished behind a chimney. He had to investigate.  
He got out of the building and took some dark path in between buildings until he could reach for a ladder that brought him onto the roof. He found his way around until he got onto the same building he saw throughout the window. When he got over there, it didn't take long for him to realize what was happening : a bag and a gun case were hidden in a corner. As he got up, the sound of a fight could be heard inside their building.


	7. Familiar Face

There was no time to loose, Reaper jumped off the roof and turned to mist to close the distance between the buildings, he broke the window to his room and got in with shards of glass spraying all over the floor. He ignore the pain he felt all over his body and ran into the corridor. There already were three of his men down on the ground.  
He sprinted to the hostage's room and found an empty room with the ropes and the chair onto the floor. Someone had somehow learned about their mission and send an agent to mess with them. If it was Sombra…  
He got out and could hear member of Los Muerto screaming at one another, although he couldn't make out the words, he knew it was an alert, they were fighting someone. In the hallway, more bodies were covering the floor.  
He ran all the way over there and found them on the ground as well, with a slim shadow turning a corner and running away from him. He followed it with his shotgun ready and was surprised when a small object sprayed a mist of gas in front of him as he passed by. He immediately started chocking and got into his wraith form for the next few meters to clear his lungs, although he had to slow down his space once he got back on his feet.  
Once he could feel his legs correctly, he accelerated until he found what he was looking for : the agent was fighting two other men at the same time with a swiftness and an agility he had never seen before. She was clearly a women seeing the shape of her body, but it didn't stop her from hitting strong and taking hits only to quickly retaliate. Reaper readied his shotgun and run at the group, ready to put an end to all of this.  
She somehow noticed him and sent one of the men at him to slow his race, then quickly got rid of the second one with a powerful blow against a wall. She turned to the next corner and screamed : « Run! Now! »  
Reaper stopped for a second… he could swear he recognized that voice. Her face and hair were covered with a black mask he couldn't see through.  
She turned around to him and he saw her look for something on her belt. Not this time, he turned to mist and charge her, englobed her and caught her from behind, putting his arm around her neck. They brawled intensely as he got pushed against the wall. The woman managed to get away from his grip and tried to throw him on the ground and run away, but he grabbed her ankle and both of them found themselves on the floor. He got on top of her and removed her mask. His suspicions where confirmed and he had to stop at what he saw.  
It was Amélie.  
He couldn't figure out her expression, she seemed both terrified and confused to see him. They stood in front of one another for an uncomfortable amount of time, with Reaper incapable of doing anything else aside staring at her.  
The sound of police sirens and other members of Los Muerto getting in got them both out of the moment. He received a powerful hit in the gut and fell onto the side as Amélie quickly got up and ran away, with Reaper staying on the ground, shocked and mesmerized at the same time. He didn't even know what to think anymore.  
« What are we going to do? They're getting in! » one the his own men said as he found him on the ground.  
The police cars outside were getting louder and louder as gunfire from outside started multiplying. Reaper got up and ran away, using the back exit and turning into mist to quickly disappear into the night as the building was getting surrounded.  
As he got out of sight, he turned back and fell down with an intense pain in his chest. This time, it was getting serious. He had to talk to Moira about it. He decided it was best not to use it anymore until she was able to take a look at it.  
Many police car passed in the street as he lurked from building to building, trying to find a way to get out of the city. The plane was going to be there at a specific location at dawn, but now with the police somehow finding their location that quickly and with Amélie taking down half of the people in the building, there was no way they would be able to finish the job. It was his second failure in a row, Maximilien wouldn't be happy about, it…  
« _Fuck him,_ Reaper thought. _Fuck his plans and his ideas. He'll be the one to give me explanations once I'll get back_. »  
Getting out of the city was easier than he had planned. Most of the police cars were surrounding their hideout and he was able to make it out just by not walking in plain sight and on the main streets. Their truck had probably been seized by now, he'd have to walk back to the meeting point.

As the plane landed and the doors opened, he saw a few of his men waiting for him. « Where's the girl? And the rest of your team.  
\- They're not here. We got caught.  
\- What? How can this be?  
\- Sombra knew we were here. She set a trap with policemen and an Overwatch agent to rescue the girl.  
\- What now?  
\- We're getting to Oasis. I need to go see an old friend.  
\- But what about the mission? and Maximilien?  
\- They can both go fuck themselves. I need to get to Oasis now. »  
Although his men weren't happy about it, they had to make the pilot turn around without their cargo and head straight to Oasis. Reaper fell down once in the plane and fell asleep out of exhaustion.


	8. Worse Conditions

The sharp contrast between Dorado and Oasis was staggering. While the mexican city was often dirty and full of shades, Oasis was bright, pure and clean of any kind of imperfection. As Reaper woke up and got out of the plane still tired, he slowly walked all the way across the city to the laboratory he had visited so many times already. The citizen had grown used to see his dark and masked figure walk among them and they were no longer afraid, or at least they didn't want to show fear or hate towards an old friend of one of the ministers of the city.  
As he found the right building, he ringed the bell which sounded like a powerful melody of chimes throughout the laboratory. A camera on top of the door started moving and looked around until it found Reaper right under it. A voice that Reaper could easily recognize stated. « The mask. » He removed it, showing his broken face to the camera. He heard a slight sight as the door unlocked.  
The laboratory was both a clean place of work and a beautiful piece of architecture, with large columns glittered with decoration supporting a high roof where a bright blue light would contrast the sun's light coming from a balcony on the other side of the room, but Reaper wasn't here to relax, he had an appointment to be done with.  
A few turns down an alleyway finally brought him where he needed to be. There, bright blue and white light were shinning onto a table of operation while a slim and tall figure was working onto some desk further away. She didn't turn around, simply stating. « That took you long enough.  
\- I had a mission to be done with.  
\- You know your health prevails your missions. I already told Maximilien about this.  
\- Don't even mention him.  
\- Anyways, get ready. As usual. »  
Reaper sighted and removed his cloak, his boots and sat onto the operation table. Moira turned around and her eyes sharply pierced him, the two distinct colours always fascinated him. « Your shirt as well. You know the drill by now. »  
He didn't like being naked, even if it was in front of a doctor that was examining him, but Moira had all the authority in her own laboratory. « Any news I should know of? she added as she was closing out whatever she was currently doing.  
\- The pain is getting worse…much worse.  
\- What do you mean? Explain your situation.  
\- Last time I used it, I had horrible chest pain. I couldn't move for a few seconds. »  
Moira crossed her arms and looked at him with strange, meticulous eyes that he knew meant she was trying to understand. « I talked to Océanne, she said you didn't touch her in two weeks. Is that true?  
\- It is.  
\- Why?  
\- I just don't feel like it.  
\- I already told you why it was important to relieve your stress. At least it would explain the pain.  
\- I can't just force myself onto her.  
\- Of course not, but I'm asking you to be a bit more… enthusiastic about it.  
\- I don't understand how this is supposed to help me.  
\- I told you already. You can't be stressed twenty-four hours a day and expect your body to react well in such condition.  
\- I have to be like that, Moira, there are people trying to kill me.  
\- Of course, and there are people trying to actively put an end to my work and I still find time for myself. Why do you think I hired an escort for you? You don't need sexual intercourse either, just talk to her, be her friend.  
\- It's hard when I clearly know she's being paid to be there.  
\- I know, but play along with it. That's what an escort is for.  
\- I just can't. »  
Moira sighted deeply. « All of this was much simpler when we still had Widowmaker. She may have been cold, but at least it worked on you.  
\- Don't talk about her like that.  
\- She's dead. You can't offend the dead.  
\- She's not dead.  
\- Of course she is. I saw the pictures. No one survives a hit like that.  
\- I saw her.  
\- Hallucinations and dreams do not make her more real.  
\- It wasn't. She was in Dorado. She messed up our mission and freed our hostage.  
\- And why would she be there, or even do that?  
\- I don't care, what matters is that I saw her. I know she's out there.  
\- Well, if that is the case and she is messing up your mission, she's of no use to us anyways. »  
Reaper sighted as Moira took his hand. A sing of the head was enough for him to understand what she wanted, he turned his hand to mist and a soft complaint came out with it. « At least it's still working properly. It's just a matter of stopping the pain.  
\- Don't you have some painkiller I could take?  
\- Painkiller will only get you so far. I don't want you to ignore the pain, we need to solve the problem or else you may just die of a heart attack on your next mission.  
\- At least it'll be over.  
\- Gabriel, those are not things to joke about. You're my first real patient and my first subject. I can't have you dying from using the abilities I gave you.  
\- So that's what I am? A subject?  
\- I'm a doctor Gabriel. I experiment on people. You're valuable to me as a subject. Don't try and pull yourself down like that. »  
He shook his head and Moira stood back. « Well if you can't use Océanne to relieve your stress we might want to try something else. What else do you like to do in your free time?  
\- I don't have any free time.  
\- Well what did you use to do when you had free time?  
\- I don't know.  
\- Well try to remember. »  
He didn't feel like answering her questions, but at the same time he knew she was here to fix his problem. « When I was younger I use to play video games a lot.  
\- Well how about that? You have a computer at home, use it.  
\- I don't have time to these things anymore, Moira. Talon is surrounded, an Omnic crisis is erupting around the world and we have to deal with it.  
\- You won't be helping anyone if you're dead. You're slowly killing yourself, Gabriel. Wake up and do something about it. »  
His mind started realizing what she was saying… he was dying. The last time he had these thought in his mind, he was in the Overwatch Swiss Headquarter. He remember thinking he was about to die right there, with Morrison's body right next to him. He remember seeing the light and thinking it was over only to feel the warm touch of Angela…  
When he finally came out of his thoughts, he saw that Moira had removed her lab coat and had put on her minister's cloak. « Come with me, Gabriel. Let's walk a bit. »  
They got out together and walked around Oasis. Moira insisted on leaving his mask in her laboratory, stating most people in the city had seen much worse. Although he was uncomfortable, there were not as many people around and they could easily get into a small garden and sit in front of a setting sun. « I know this is hard for you, dealing with so many ennemies, so many problems, but you have to think about yourself sometimes. It is not healthy to forget that, under that cloak, under those guns you swing around, under that mask, you are a human being.  
\- I barely feel human most of the time.  
\- And it is wrong of you. My plan is to show the true potential of the human race, but we can't do it if we forget what we are in the first place. I know you, Gabriel. I've been watching you for years now and I can tell who you are. You're no monster, you're lost. You can't find motivation for your existence anymore.  
\- I have motivation.  
\- Let me guess : revenge?  
\- Everyone has their own way.  
\- But revenge will only get you so far. It will only get you deeper into the dark and twisted part of the human psyche. You think that killing those who harmed you will fulfill you, but it will only plague you with guilt later on in your life.  
\- You don't know that.  
\- I know because I've wanted to take revenge myself for a very long time. People have tried to ruin me for so long and I've been angry at them for even longer. However, I understood that living my dream and my will by myself if much better for me and my sanity. That's why I am now in Oasis instead of being within the Talon headquarters.  
\- So what am I supposed to do?  
\- Find your way, Gabriel. Stop thinking about the wrong you've lived and start existing.  
\- But I'm barely even a person anymore.  
\- That is not true. You are simply broken at the moment. Take a few days off. Stay in here in Oasis, I'll make sure to keep you safe. Think about your next actions wisely.  
\- I can't stay. I need to talk to Maximilien.  
\- Then you'll talk to him in a few days. I'll contact him and tell him he'll have to wait.  
\- It's not that simple. »  
Moira stood up and turned to him. « Of course it is, Maximilien cannot say anything to the Minister of Genetic of Oasis if she decides to keep one of her subject up close for a short amount of time. Here, I'll contact him right away. »  
She took out an earphone and slowly walked away, leaving Gabriel out of the conversation. He sighted and let her do the work.  
« There, she said after a minute. He's mad, but now he knows you won't be able to leave. I gave you two days. Take your time and relax for a bit. »  
Although he didn't want to admit it, he was glad she took the time to help him. He took a deep breath and Moira offered him her arm, they walked back to her laboratory. She offered him a place to sleep and, before he went to rest, she snapped electrodes on him. « While you're here, I might as well take as much information as I can. Maybe I'll find some other ways of helping. »  
Although he wasn't fond of sleeping while connected to a dozen different machine, he thought it was the price for sleeping in Moira's laboratory. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about everything around him.  
As he was falling asleep, his phone started ringing : it was Maximilien. He sighted and answered him. « _What is the matter with all of this? The mission is a huge failure and you leave me with no reports, no plane and no hostage? What are you thinking?_  
\- You heard Moira. I'm staying in Oasis for a few days.  
\- _This time, we'll have a big talk once you get back here. The council will hear about this._  
\- I know. »  
As he was about to hang up, he took a deep breath and took the rest of courage he had. « Oh, and Sombra. I know you're listening to us. Come to me, I need to talk to you.  
- _What? What do you mean?_ » Maximilien asked him, more confused than anything else.  
Gabriel hung up, closing his phone and making sure Maximilien couldn't call him back.


	9. A Light in the Shadow

His dreams were not like the ones he used to have. This time, he dreamt of a fire, metallic walls melting, flames devouring bodies, his own flesh turning to a dark shadow within the lights of hell. A dark figure jumped on him and they brawled into this collapsing structure. He had to get out, he wouldn't make it out alive if he didn't, but it already seemed too late : a large explosion shook the earth and bright light blinded him.  
When he could finally see, he found a large creature standing in front of him. About twenty meters tall, it was very slim, with twisted flesh and saillant ribs, with two elongated legs and arms that stretched all the way to the ground, picking up bodies after bodies, touching them with long and disturbing fingers covered in blood. He could see the nails pierce the bodies and drain them, turning them into dried and emptied carcasses. The thing slowly walked up to him and picked him up… was it his turn?  
As he saw the long fingers reach out to his face, he noticed the head of the creature, it had nothing but one large blue eye staring at him. Around its neck, a necklace showed the hanged body of the members of Talon's Council, but also Morrison and many other Overwatch agents. They all had horrified dried out faces.  
He stared at it in a strange awe as its finger pierce his throat. He started suffocating, trying to find a way to escape it, but there was no way, it was too strong. He gave up and let himself be consumed by the shadows that were entering his eyes.  
He woke up realizing he was turning into mist during his sleep, making him panic. He never used his wraith form during his sleep before, was it because he had the impression of dying? The electrodes were still all around his body and the lights on the machines quickly flickered to blue for a few seconds before coming back to their normal colours. He got up in an urge to walk around to calm himself, the sky he could see through the window was still very dark, it was probably still night.  
It took him a moment before he was able to fall asleep again, but this time, the nightmare were mostly gone.  
It was only the day after during the afternoon that the security alarm went off and Moira got out of her laboratory in a haste. « Someone's trying to get in.  
\- Let her in.  
\- What do you mean? »  
A silhouette started materializing next to her and, when Moira realized what was going on, she turned to Gabriel. « What is the meaning of this?  
\- I called her. I needed something from her. »  
Sombra took shape in front of him and sat down. « Good to know you remember who's watching you, she said.  
\- Next time, a simple ring on the door will suffice, Moira told her with a dark look.  
\- I prefer to make my own way in. You know the drill by now. »  
Moira sighted and took out the alarm while Sombra looked at her nails. « That was a pretty pathetic attempt at a kidnapping you tried in Dorado.  
\- It wasn't my idea.  
\- Oh, I know that. Doesn't change the fact that it was ratter… mediocre.  
\- You don't need to rub it in my face.  
\- I guess I'll have to have a little chat with Maximilien about that.  
\- So do I.  
\- You know he's not going to enjoy that little trick you did to him yesterday?  
\- I couldn't care less.  
\- Well that's a start in the right direction.  
\- You think?  
\- He's an asshole. Don't let that tin can control you. »  
Gabriel sighted as Moira got back into their room, watching Sombra with a defensive eye. « I called you because I need a service from you…  
\- You want to see Amélie?  
\- What? How did you…  
\- She's in your room. »  
Gabriel was both surprise and confused as to how quick Sombra had been on the realization. The thought of Amélie being here suddenly made his heart beat faster. He got up and walked away as Sombra stated : « Got anything to drink in here?  
\- This is a laboratory, Moira answered with a dead serious tone.  
\- Well, if he sleep in here, there must be some kind of kitchen or something around. »  
Moira sighted and shook her head. « I have some wine.  
\- Perfect. »  
He left them to their own misadventure as he quickly walked back to his room. When he got in front of the door, he took a deep breath and slowly opened it.  
Her slim silhouette was cutting the light from the window on the other side of the room. She slowly turned her head around to look at him. They both didn't know what to say, simply staring into each other's eyes.  
« Should I call you Phantom now? » he asked more as a way to break the silence.  
She smiled. « You know about that?  
\- Sombra talks a lot when she wants to.  
\- She does. »  
After a short pause, he kept going. « It's a pretty name.  
\- Thank you… I wanted to call my riffle like that, but I though I'd be more fitting for me.  
\- What did you call it?  
\- Lullaby.  
\- Really?  
\- Because she puts people to sleep… it's a sedative sniper.  
\- So… that's what you used in Dorado?  
\- Yes. I didn't kill your men if that's what you were afraid of. I'm trying to kill only if it's necessary.  
\- Is it necessary for me? »  
Her smile dropped and she looked down. « I'm not here to kill you. I'm here because… I needed to talk to you. »  
Amélie walked up to him and went past him. She barely touched him, but it was enough to make him shiver. She closed the door and turned around to look at him. « I'm sorry about Dorado.  
\- It's not your fault. Don't be sorry.  
\- I wish I didn't run away, but the other would've shot me if I'd stay.  
\- I know. Don't worry about that. »  
Without his mask or his cloak he usually wore, he felt naked and alone, a different person. Amélie was a beacon to him, an anchor he could hold onto to try and stay in the present… _she was there_. It was enough to put a subtle smile on his lips. « I think we've both been through a lot since we left Numbani, she said.  
\- You probably more than me.  
\- It was one hell of a rollercoaster to say the least.  
\- Did… Angela bring you back?  
\- Yes, she did.  
\- But… you tried to kill her.  
\- I know, I was just as confused, but she was ready to give me another chance. I took it and now here I am. »  
He sighted. « At least you were able to save yourself. I'm happy you did. »  
She slowly walked up to him. « That's what I wanted to tell you.  
\- What is it?  
\- I want you to come with me.  
\- What?  
\- I know there is still hope for you. You don't have to stay alone like that. Let me help you. »  
He backed up and turned away from her. « No… if you're here to make me join Overwatch, you can leave already. »  
It broke him to say it, but he knew there was no hope for him left. It was better for her to leave and forget he existed. But instead, he felt her hands touch his shoulder. « I don't want you to join Overwatch… I just don't want you to try and kill them, and I don't want them to try and kill you again.  
\- Those wounds are deeper than you think. We've had this grudge for decades.  
\- You've turned me years ago, and yet here I am.  
\- I still don't understand how you can look at me in the eyes after what I've done. »  
She took some time to answer. « It is really hard. I've spent way too much time blinded by hatred. I wanted to kill you not even a week ago. But then, I've met with a wise person who told me that there is no such thing as evil by nature, only discord and misconception about each other. He also told me that anyone whose path would descend could be brought back if the right tools were used on them.  
\- What does that mean?  
\- It means that everyone can be saved. A month ago I was still a cold murderer that couldn't feel human anymore, but Angela brought me back. She was the one I needed to be put on the right path.  
\- I'm happy to hear it.  
\- But you… You are still on the wrong path, and you've been there for so long. I'm… I'm sorry.  
\- You don't have to be sorry about anything.  
\- I do. I could've bring you back. I saw it in your eyes the first time I saw you without your mask… I saw you were sad, lonely. I should've kept resisting. Maybe if I had, you would've changed. I'm sorry because, when I finally saw who you were, I started using you. I used your body and I didn't think twice about what I would make you feel. »  
Although he still hadn't turned around to look at her, he could tell by her voice that she was holding back tears. He felt her hand try to grasp his. « I know you think this is all and only your fault, but it's not. We are both victims of injustice just like we both made mistakes.  
\- But I didn't do mine while brainwashed… There is no excuse.  
\- You were broken, physically, mentally and emotionally. But that's not what matters.  
\- What does?  
\- What matters is that I forgive you. »  
He turned around and looked at her, her makeup was starting to pour on the sides, but she stood straight and still. « You forgive me?  
\- I do… but you also have to do the same.  
He brought her hands closer to his heart and took it with his other hand as well. « Of course I do. »  
She got closer and her forehead touched his chest, he put his hands around her and closed his eyes. « I missed you so much, he said.  
\- I did too.  
\- I don't want you to leave me again.  
\- I know.  
\- We could leave together. We could forget about everyone else, move somewhere far, start over.  
\- It would be lovely, but I can't.  
\- Why?  
\- We have to fight. There is a war starting, we need to be there for one another, all of us. Angela saved my life, I can't let her down.  
\- You know they would never want me back.  
\- I thought the same about me, but people change. Do you know who taught me to forgive myself?  
\- Who?  
\- His name is Zenyatta, he is a monk of the Shimbali clan, the ones that Mondatta was leading.  
\- Really?  
\- He decided it was best to forgive me rather to seek revenge, because I was ready to change.  
\- I don't know if I'm ready to change.  
\- You are. I'll be there for you, and you'll be there for me. »  
Gabriel didn't know what to think of it. With all his heart he wanted to be with Amélie, help her and be by her side when she needed him, but the rest of the world hated him, and he didn't have the same excuse that she had. He couldn't just wake up one day and decide to forgive the world and be forgiven… that wasn't right.  
« I need time to think about it.  
\- It's alright. I won't force you to make your decision right now… but know that I'll always be here if you need me.  
\- I love you. »  
It came out just like that, he felt like he had to say it. He saw her eyes shine and a smile coming up her lips, « I love you too. »  
She kissed him and they fell onto the bed together.


	10. End

The night was interrupted by the alarm going off once more. Gabriel woke up, with Amélie right next to him. « Is that Sombra again? he asked.  
\- I don't think she would've set out the alarm like that.  
\- Stay here. »  
He got up, quickly put pants back on and got his shotgun. As he got out of the room and into the laboratory, he noticed a group of armed men and Omnics running in. He hid behind a wall and let the shadows of the night cover him as the group flipped over the tables and readied their guns. « Find the girl and bring her back, dead or alive, » he heard.  
They started splitting up, were they here for Sombra? Amélie? He didn't know where Sombra or Moira were, but he knew he had to stop them.  
He suddenly felt a strange rage he rarely felt when he was about to fight, he got in and mist covered the room, the men started screaming and shooting around as his shotgun started taking them one by one. When he was over, only a few of them where left on the ground, disarmed and trying to get away.  
The lights opened and Moira entered with strange equipment on her back. « What is the meaning of this?  
\- Looks like we had some visitors.  
\- Are you alright?  
\- Yes… I think. »  
She faded away and seemingly teleported right in front of him, her eyes were filled with strange emotions. She took her right hand and lifted one of the men still alive from the ground « Who sent you? »  
The man didn't answer, trying to get away from her grip, but when he started suffocating and when the skin around his neck started turning black, he was barely able to shout. « Talon… Talon sent us… »  
She threw him on the ground and turned to Gabriel. « Maximilien will have a hard time defending himself once I come to him with the minister of Oasis at my back. I will not tolerate such agression in my domain. »  
Gabriel noticed Amélie peaking around the corner with a gun, but when she saw everyone on the ground, she sighted and put it away. « Where's Sombra?  
\- I don't know, Moira answered. I offered her a room to sleep in, but she told me she would find another place. Apparently, she knew she was being followed.  
\- Or she predicted that Maximilien would want to take her out while she was here.  
\- This time, he will not get away with it. I am telling you. »  
She left the room with a haste that meant she was angry. Gabriel returned to his room and Amélie sighted. « What are you going to do?  
\- You heard Moira. This time, Maximilien is not getting away with this.  
\- Let her deal with him, she has more power than you.  
\- She has all the political support she needs, but I have something she doesn't.  
\- What is it? »  
He didn't answer. He put back his cloak and all of his arsenal and put his mask back on. « We're in the middle of the night… are you just going to leave us here? »  
He stopped and turned to her. « Maximilien is putting us all in danger. I need to put an end to that.  
\- And how do you think you're going to do it?  
\- I have a plan. »  
He got closer to her. « You should go back to Overwatch, this is a dangerous place for you.  
\- I know, and I chose to come here even so, because I needed to be with you.  
\- I'll come back to you. I'll find a way. »  
She hugged him and he took all the time he could to savour it. He had to make sure it wasn't all for nothing : he had done too much wrong, now what the time for a change.  
He walked all the way across Oasis and found the plane that brought the agent in the city. He got in and the pilot seemed surprised to see him. « We're going back to the headquarter, Gabriel told him.  
\- Sir, I haven't received any orders to leave yet. »  
He aimed his shotgun right at his face. « We're going back to the headquarters, and we're going now. »

He called Maximilien himself. « _I see you survived the shooting, he told him._  
\- You better have a good explanation to this.  
\- _No, it is you who will have to explain why you communicated with Sombra in the middle of our own call and let her close to you without telling any of us._  
\- I needed something from her.  
\- _Oh, so you are going to deal with your ennemies now?_  
\- I know when to put aside some inner conflict to deal with some more important problems.  
\- _You think you're clever, aren't you? The council already heard of your betrayal. Our men were told to find Sombra and terminate her. If you tried to stop them, then you are no longer welcomed at our table and will be seen as our enemy from now on._  
\- That's all I needed to hear. »  
He hung up and prepared his arsenal. A few seconds later, the headquarter's doors where blown up and the Reaper entered, shooting the soldiers inside, covering the hallways with dark mist and blood as he flew to the basement.  
He kicked the door to the council open and the mist covered the room, the only thing he could hear was the barrels of his guns and the horrified screams of the members of Talon's council.  
When he was done, he stopped and turned to look at the one he made sure not to shoot yet, Maximilien had a dark look on his face. « You traitor… first Doomfist, and then you. You can't deal with our ways, with our vision, so you stab us in the back?  
\- I'm not stabbing you in the back, I'm swinging back at you. »  
He didn't give him time to answer, he shot him in the face and left the room. Sirens could be heard as the shooting had woken up all of King's Row, but Gabriel couldn't care less. He stepped out, turned to mist and disappeared into the night.


	11. New Story

Hello everyone!  
There is a new story to follow up the events after this one, with yet another change in narrator and a new plot. Search for "Overwatch : God Bender"


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